The Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) provides a clear and comprehensive picture of the state of adult learning and education (ALE) around the world. The "4th Global Report on Adult Learning and Education" ("GRALE 4") monitors the extent to which UNESCO Member States put their international commitments regarding adult learning and education (ALE) into practice and reflects data submitted by 159 countries. It calls for a major change in the approach to ALE, backed by adequate investment to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access and benefit from ALE and that its contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is fully realized. This report explores participation in adult learning and education from the perspective of equity and inclusion. The first part tracks progress in adult learning and education against the Belém Framework for Action, adopted in 2009, on the basis of the GRALE survey; the second offers a detailed thematic analysis of participation, drawing on the survey findings, but also a wide range of other relevant sources. "GRALE 4" provides an up-to-date summary of the latest data, demonstrating where the gaps are, analysing policy and practice, and highlighting what is not known about participation and why this matters. [For "3rd Global Report on Adult Learning and Education: The Impact of Adult Learning and Education on Health and Well-Being; Employment and the Labour Market; and Social, Civic and Community Life," see ED612530.]